OAKLAND, CA — Seventeen years ago, Brian Wood had his first experience with a kouign-amann. That initial introduction eventually led him to open a wholesale bakery in 2010.
Translating to “butter cake”, the layered butter and sugar creates a caramelized flakey pastry that makes a good breakfast dessert. Wood learned how to make the pastry while teaching at the San Francisco Baking Institute.
Wood’s kouign-amann have been a Bay Area favorite for years. Wood just opened Starter Bakery, his first ever brick-and-mortar in Oakland. On opening day, people lined up, many with high hopes of getting their hands on the kouign-amann.
Typically, the sweet good is made with double the butter and 10-times the sugar as a traditional croissant — making them is time consuming and can take a full day. Wood puts a twist on his kouign-amann, adding seasonal fillings to the usually unfilled pastry.
In addition to kouign-amann, Starter Bakery also features freshly baked ciabatta and sourdough bread, croissants, sticky buns, and other traditional baked goods.
